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Bias in calling balls and strikes

Over at Five Thirty Eight, there's a discussion of how the count and the previous pitch impacts whether a close pitch is called a ball or a strike

By Adam J. Morris
Rick Yeatts

There's an interesting piece over at Five Thirty Eight today, complete with diagrams and graphs, that deals with inherent bias in umpires calling balls and strikes, and how the strike zone shrinks and expands depending on the situation.

Its an interesting piece that highlights how significant the "human element" can be in this area, and how subconscious biases can creep in to decisions being made by umpires who I'm sure believe they are being neutral and calling the same strike zone all the time.